They say don’t judge a book by its cover. , although i’m not surprised After all, you’re employed to seeing the likes of Nissan,Mitsubishi and Mazda, and Honda project cars on these pages. But a Chevy? Don’t be so quick to dismiss it. Yes, it’s not your typical Modified Mag build, but that’s what makes it special although I know you already have.

The excitement and challenge of creating on a platform that isn’t very popular makes this project one that I am hoping you’ll follow along closely. Why? You’re going to see what it takes to create this little hatchback in a decent track car that can still be civil enough for everyday use because.

It’s by no means likely to be easy; there aren’t exactly scores of modified Sonics kicking around i can look to for inspiration. Instead, I am hoping we’ll end up being the ones doing the inspiring and demonstrating that no matter what platform, you could build that it isto begin with. The RS moniker in the Sonic lineup means it arrives with a host of options that the regular models don’t get. You will find the aesthetics that add much needed aggressiveness to the body lines, nevertheless the stuff that really matters can be a 6-speed manual with shorter gear ratios, lower and stiffer suspension, rear disc brakes, and 17-inch wheels. I also quite like the RS interior, which adds a flat-bottom, thick-rimmed steering wheel and very sporty-looking RS badged seats. They could use a bit more bolstering, but that’s why we’re here.

This car is going to find some good serious upgrades in areas that have been deemed to need improvement. Things like the infotainment system won’t get touched because, frankly, it’s as good as it gets.

I’ve had a chance to stretch the legs on this little hot hatch at the track, and as mentioned, it’s actually a decent package from the factory. Kudos to Chevy because of not just sticking RS badging on it and faking the funk. To acquire some higher caliber performance, almost all the major components about this car will probably be modified, so you can expect to see a lot of parts being fitted to it in an exceedingly short amount of time.and also as of this writing, I have two very short months to perform this build. I bet you’re doing the work again, judging. I know a great deal of SEMA cars end up not running and instead just look the part, but my goal is to ensure this Sonic is functional and can be driven straight back to Los Angeles, then head to the track and compete in our Super Lap Battle Finals.

I want to promise that as much as I have to target completing this car for SEMA, the priority is to make it into something legit and real. The last thing I want can be a car that appears good but performs poorly. This is Modified Mag after all, and if there’s one thing we do right here, it’s going fast.

Without giving away a lot of spoilers, expect to see some pretty cool parts on this car in the next upcoming issues. We’ve got big brakes from Brembo to make certain fade-free reliability and serious stopping power. A wicked combination of street and track tires and wheels will probably be fitted while many serious massaging of the fenders may happen to handle all that extra rubber. Inside, seats from Recaro using a one-off rollbar and Takata harnesses will assure the driver carries a proper office to work in. The engine will get a surge in power. It’s a 1.4L turbo, so the goal is not to visit overboard and then make it unreliable. Instead, we’ll stick with some key upgrades to ensure reliability while increasing forward velocity.

Get ready because this project is going to go from -60 within the blink of an eye. Expect to see both the ups and downs of a fast build of this kind, but feel comfortable-it’s going to be a fun and challenging ride.

Some people wouldn’t touch a high mileage used car in a hundred years whereas others see the fact that a car has driven around the earth a couple of times a great reason for buying a bargain. A quick look at the odometer is the best way to know exactly how many miles your motor has covered in its previous life, but before parting with any cash you also need to look out for a few other signs.
Is the odometer showing a genuine reading? Some unscrupulous car dealers and private people will go to great lengths to try and unwind a few miles from the odometer to make it appear that the car has driven fewer miles than it actually has. If the vehicle shows a relatively high number of miles after it has been tampered with, who knows how far it may have driven in real terms? It is more difficult to pull this sort of trick since the advent of digital odometers but it is still possible to do so.

One great way to determine whether the reading is genuine is to check on the vehicle history. If the motor you are thinking of buying comes with service history that can be a real bonus.
Has the engine got a few more miles left in it? Any potential engine problems can soon be identified with a compression test. If you don’t know how to do this yourself it is certainly worth calling upon the services of a professional service mechanic or a friend who happens to be a petrol head. It’s quite a simple procedure which involves replacing a spark plug with a compression gauge, cranking up the motor and reading the numbers recorded on the gauge. Low compression could be a sign of a leaking gasket, perhaps a damaged exhaust valve or just that the engine is in need of major surgery before it can be expected to ever run sweetly again.
How many rust spots can you find on the bodywork? Rust is usually quite easy to spot if it is left to its own devices but some people are guilty of trying to disguise the fact that the bodywork is suffering. If the car you are looking at has the original paint job you may be able to find small bubbled areas where the rust is beginning to grow. If the car has a few patches which are a slightly different shade then they have almost certainly tried to hide signs of rust. On the other hand you can’t expect a car which has high mileage to be bright and shiny like it was the first day it drove out of the car lot, not unless the previous owner admits that it has been re-sprayed.

Turning your attention to the inside? Think about this for a second, for every mile that a car drives someone must have been sitting in the driving seat with their foot on the gas. This wear and tear will be a good indicator about the mileage of the car, and if the odometer has been tampered with to show fewer miles the interior could help to give the game away.
If a car has got high mileage but has been regularly serviced and well maintained it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will let you down. Modern cars can be expected to last for 250,000 miles or more without any problems at all.

“Produced by Rough World, Crazy Performance.” That’s what the rear of Nojima’s business card reads. I’m standing before a small workshop that over the recent years has become synonymous with unparalleled Porsche style. This workshop is, of course, Rauh Welt Begriff, or RWB, a name that is increasingly famous thanks to the unique style and personality from the chain-smoking visionary behind Nakai-san. Once the best kept secret in Japan, these days there are international RWB dealers in Thailand, Europe, and SanMateo and California, to go together with the endless stream of photos of RWB Porsches on just about every car guy’s Facebook news feed.

The Toyota Corolla Levin before me oozes character from every conceivable angle, yet glanced over in general, it couldn’t be any simpler. However Nojima’s hachiroku is still unmistakably a Nakai-san creation despite not being a Porsche. In all honesty, Nakai-san’s Rough World movement, which has been in charge of setting some very important trends in Japan during the last twenty years, got its start back in the mid-’90s when Nakai’s AE86 crew was drifting on the winding roads that snake up Mount Tsukuba, battling other local drifters with their slammed and tuned Truenos and Levins, sporting aggressive front negative camber and wide wheels with tightly stretched tires, barely contained by rolled or FRP fenders.

This “rough” style was quickly copied and became the look to obtain on a tough prepared street machine, a style that still today defines the essence of any drift car. Since then Nakai has developed new interests, centering on the Porsche 911s you’re almost certainly informed about from Rauh Welt Begriff (German for Rough World Evolution), infusing them with the unmistakable look his AE86s became so wellNot too Nojima’s street-driven Levin looks in any way dated. Being a member of the original Rough World movement and Nakai’s trusted painter responsible for the custom matte paintjobs you no doubt associate with RWB builds, Nojima wanted to create something special with his Levin, going for a look that would hint back at the old times but simultaneously incorporate those more modern Raul Welt styling traits. So, his ’86 Levin was stripped of its original body and decked out in a number of parts that could aid in the transformation.

Run Free supplied the leading side and bumper skirts which provide the car its ground-hugging stance, while the carbon hood from the same company shaved some weight off the front end. And talking about weight saving, the FRP doors from J-Blood and also the Crystal Body Yokohama rear hatch alongside the lexan windows help this hachi shed some serious pounds. They have allowed Nojima to push out of the Watanabe wheels as much as possible, improving the track at both ends, though the Run Free widened fenders back and front may not save any weight.

Little RWB touches are the tilted-up hood for aided cooling and a series of meshed cutouts towards the bumpers, something Nakai often does around the Porsches he builds. They may be said to aid underbody airflow by allowing turbulent air to move through the low aero efficiently, instead of slowing the car down. Giving that unfinished look for the front end is the rather large gap left behind by the removal of the stock grille, done to increase cooling air to the radiator and oil cooler.

But it’s the mixture of colors that has the biggest influence on this build, the satin-like matte black body providing great contrast against the opaque bronze Watanabe RSes covered with sticky Yokohama semislicks. The particular texture in the body is virtually rubbery, obtained with careful application of each layer of color, resulting in a stone-chip-resistant finish. Gold RWB graphics adorn the rear hatch as well as the front glass, and like every car Nakai builds, the AE86 has been given a name, in this instance “Real around the globe,” which is applied asideAround The World

As an avid circuit racer who participates in every round of the Idlers Games, a track club that sees participants compete in time attack events at famous circuits like Tsukuba and Motegi, Nojima obviously takes his racing very seriously, an issue that becomes much more apparent after you take a look at the interior. Functionality takes precedence over comfort, so what was superfluous to going fast on target, like a lot of the lower portion of the dashboard, center console and trim, was removed. A custom bolted and welded rollcage adds all-important rigidity on the old chassis while complying with circuit regulations. A Sparco Rev bucket seat along with a Sabelt racing harness keeps Nojima tightly strapped in when he steers his AE86 via a thinly rimmed Nardi wheel.

Powering the RWB Levin is a 4AG sourced from an AE92, running some pretty wild TRD camshafts, 308 degrees on the intake and 288 degrees on the exhaust side. Joining the cams are Keihin FCR 41mm motorcycle carburetors that breathe through oiled foam filters to ensure nothing hazardous gets sucked in from the funnels. These carbs actually feature guillotine-type valves, that are excellent for racing use because they provide greater response compared to conventional butterfly valves. Compression has been slightly lowered thanks to a .8mm-thick metal head gasket to aid get the most out of this setup. The Tec Art’s exhaust manifold channels gases off to the Run Free exhaust system, which features hardly any in the form of silencing, allowing that unmistakable 4AG scream to be heard constantly. Joining the timing controller is a 6AL module as well as a Blaster SS both from MSD, guaranteeing powerful and accurate ignition. And on the cooling side of things, a large core radiator from Tec Art’s and a Setrab oil cooler deal with the excess heat generated by the increased engine performance.

Getting the most from the carbed 4AG is really a TRD close-ratio gearset, which replaces the first three cogs with shorter ones to accomplish more responsive and immediate acceleration when exiting corners. This joins the TRD clutch and two-way LSD with a 4.7 final drive, all of which help this angry-looking Levin to get every last horsepower to the ground via its Yokohama A048s. Nojima also paid special attention to the suspension by fitting custom valved Nevro dampers and matched springs, which can be changed depending on the track and grip available. TRD stabilizers would be the last bit of the puzzle, helping keep body roll in check and having the most grip out of the front tires.

Nakai and Nojima have once again proven they realize how to build visually stunning cars, mixing an optimal blend of that Rough World trendsetting style having a more modern and contemporary Rauh Welt ideology. Needless to say, we can’t wait to see what these people come up with next!

I’ve got to say, it was an enormous honor being on set as one of the three photographers in the filming of Need for Speed: Ken Block’s Gymkhana Six. Some of my closest friends work with Block, either at Hoonigan, Hoonigan Racing or GoPro, and overall, it’s pretty amazing to see a group as talented as this combine to create something so f**ing awesome. Here you will find exclusive behind the curtain photos together with imagery Hoonigan used in its promotion for this particularin the Las Vegas premiere party, a select few of us watched the video with an eardrum collapsing volume on a massive projector screen in the rented out floor in the Palms Hotel & Casino – it was badass. But the funny thing was that afterwards Mr. Because it’s harder and harder to top the earlier video, block took the microphone and honestly confessed that each Gymkhana video royally screws him. “How do youto the original roots of the first videos; revealing car control, precision and just how nimble his batshit crazy 2013 Ford Fiesta ST RX43 around the sick fifteen52 wheels actually isfor this particular video ended up being to create the ultimate Gymkhana GRID course and it was undeniably a success. It’d be nuts to see a GRID competition on a course like this, mirrored with two drivers head-to-head. Will which happen? You should thoroughly enjoy this video, filmed and assembled by the video geniuses at Logan Media, though who knows… Until then.

There is more to saving the environment than just recycling your newspaper. There are many great things out there that will really help make your footprint smaller so that you can be rest assured that you are doing all you can to impact the Earth in a meaningful way. Here are a couple of great ideas for you.

1. Make Old Things New Again

Buying some pieces of furniture second hand can really make a difference when it comes to the environment since you are buying pieces that may have just ended up in a landfill. The great thing about buying second-hand is that you can be creative with what you buy by changing the colors and hardware. By searching on Pinterest and blogs across the web, you can get great ideas for how to remake old furniture to make it chic.

2. An Electric Car

Few things can show you are serious about saving the environment like owning an electric car does. With the Nissan Leaf from Nissan Riverside, you can get a reasonably priced electric car that gets an almost unbelievable 126 MPG. The Leaf is a great way to lower your carbon emissions every day. find out more about the Nissan Leaf by going to http://metronissanredlands.com.

3. A Composter

If you have the outdoor space for it, a composter can be a great way to keep the amount of garbage you are sending to the landfill down. With a composter, you can keep organic material, such as vegetable peels and coffee grounds, out of your trash. Instead, you can put organic material in the composter and, with very little effort on your part, have material to create rich organic material for growing your vegetables once planting season comes. If you have a vegetable garden, compost will act like fertilizer, without all the chemicals.

Standard Coupe/Sedan obtainable in December and SI obtainable in spring

Los angelesa long list of enhancements for that 2014 model year. Styling hasn’t been the smoothest ride since the hard criticisms of the 2012 model. Now Honda has turned its attention to the Civic Coupe. It’s youthful and sporty nature has been stepped up with a new look plus moreThe exterior is given a more aggressive appearance with a new grille, fender, hood and headlights and sportier aero. On certain trims the 2014 Honda Civic is going to be getting larger wheels. Honda has added Modern Steel Metallic for anexactly the same Honda Civic with just a prettier face. The suspension features revised tuning with higher spring rates along with a stiffer rear stabilizer bar and a reworked Electronic Power Steering (EPS) for a much smoother ride. A brand new exhaust has been fitted that enhances the power by 3 horsepower and 1 lb-ft of torque. To get agood reputation for fuel efficiency, Honda has replaced the five-speed automatic both in the Coupe and Sedan for a Continuously Variable Transmission that’s found in the Civic Hybrid. Is also enhances responsiveness by supplying a quicker and smoother acceleration, although not only does the CVT improve fuel efficiency with a 22 percent wider ratio range. The Civic’s new EPA fuel economy is rated at 30mpg in the city and 33mpg combined.

Virtually every part of the Civic is upgraded including the interior with new fabrics, door panel trim, and audio panel color coordination. Honda will also be offering brand new premium features such as a new 7-inch Display Audio touchscreen control center with optional navigation function, a wise Entry with a Push Button Start, an expanded view driver’s mirror and Honda LaneWatch blind spot display, auto on/off headlights, and power driver seat with 8-way adjustability.

1311 LA Auto Show 2014 Honda Civic Rear 10

1311 LA Auto Show 2014 Honda Civic Passenger Door 09

1311 LA Auto Show 2014 Honda Civic Front Bumper 11

Year over year, we have continued to bolster the competitive position of Civic with new performance, features and value for the investment, and 2014 is no exception, said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. Once again the outright best pick in the compact class.””, even though This 2014 Civic is our very best offering yet, and makes Civic not only the best-selling””

The SI model is likewise getting the standard Civic Coupe styling enhancements, but with the addition of a few SI-exclusive pieces such as a bumper garnish, large rear decklid spoiler, and distinctive front and rear air diffusers. Both the SI Sedan and Coupe will can be found in a new Orange Fire Pearl and will be getting larger 18 wheels. Similar to the standard Civic, the SI will also be obtaining a revised suspension tuning to enhance steering response and roll feel. Altogether it provides on an enhanced handling refinement and noiseshould expect a lot of excitement coming from the Honda brand. We hear the clients.

Michael Accavitti, senior v . p . of Honda Automotive Operations says, The tuner market can expect lots of excitement from the Honda brand. We hear the customers. We have been working as hard as we can to bring all that stuff revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show here to the market [U.S.]. We want to bring as much of the fun-to-drive technology we have available around the world back here into the United States.

You can get the 2014 Honda Civic Coupe and Sedan at Honda dealerships nationwide on December the, 2013 and 4 SI Coupe and Sedan early in the year.

No, you’re not losing your mind. We’ve already reviewed the sultry 12C Spider back in EC 2/13, when Basem Wasef had the opportunity to let it loose on Spain’s Ascari Circuit. However, McLaren invited us to drive the Spider at California Speedway, so how could we refuse?

We weren’t expecting to come from the track with newfound revelations. Let’s face the facts; the consensus on this supercar is five stars anywhere you look. And even though our star rating is not any different, we stumbled upon a scary truth: The 12C Spider just might be the only real daily-drivable supercar available.

You see, rivals from Italy and Germany don’t quite have it all. Sure, some are more violent and visually stunning (Aventador), and others are superbly sorted but lacking the thrust we want in a car of this caliber (R8 V10 Plus), however thewith a gloomy Friday morning, our yellow Spider could stop traffic. Using the two composite roof pieces intact, its capability to transform into an open-topped racer is unrivalled. The line is so clean, unlike many convertibles that differ from their coupe siblings in obvious ways.

What’s more, the 12C Spider only gains a measly 88 lb compared to the coupe. No structural rigidity was lost along the way, yet the extra fun is immeasurable,. That may be even more impressive.

Thanks to boron tubes within the A-pillars, it can make little impact on the handling characteristics whether you choose the fixed roof or composite drop-top. McLaren admitted that most drivers were completely unaware they were within the Spider rather than coupe because the two drive virtually the same thanks to the advanced carbon fiber monocell chassis, as a result.There is an elephant standing on my lungs, my stomach was squashed in the vice, and my forehead was strapped tightly the headrest. Or at a minimum, that’s the actual way it felt from the passenger seat when I was shown the way the launch control works. In fact, it receives the Spider to 60mph in 3.1sec. We then continued onto 100 and then to 140. The car was ludicrously, inconceivably fast.

There’s virtually no turbo lag from the 3.8-liter V8 twin-turbo, which isn’t surprising once you pop the bonnet to glance with the two tiny snails boosting the hand-built gem to 616hp and 442 lb-ft,. That is even better. How then, is it possible that this 12C pulls so hard to its 8500rpm redline?

The motor was manufactured to provide immense low-end torque by utilizing the small turbos as primary power-adders. Up on top of the rev range, the location where the turbos are spinning at impossible revolutions, the small displacement V8 takes over to retain the powerband climbing ever higher. The combination is almost utopian in the ferocious delivery.

On the tight track, stretching the Spider’s legs wasn’t quite as easy. In fact, witnessing the sub-3000 lb British bomber handle with the eagerness of a shifter kart was almost unsettling. A car shouldn’t be able to do thatis sufficient to clip the apex with razor precision. And the idea of transition oversteer or a chicane mishap might be buried deep in your cranium, because the McLaren simply can not be disturbed.

The Spider is so incredibly easy to drive fast that even my grandma could exploit its ability but, if she went too much, the carbon-ceramic stoppers would surely bring things to a halt.

Blown away at its track performance, we assumed the 12C will be jarring on public roads. Cars of the caliber usually sit thus far on the performance side of the spectrum that pebbles seem like parking and potholes lots develop into a chore. However, setting the chassis and powertrain dials from Race to Normal turned the g-pulling beast into a comfy, plush tourer. With the roof down along with the whooshing, burbling behind your ears, crossing railroad tracks without scrubbing speed felt urbane for any car that’s so capable of being uncivilized. This is something no other supercar can offer…

You won’t find more for your money if you’re seeking a 204mph daily driver, although at $249000, the 12C Spider is no bargain. And, frankly, who isn’t?

It seems like there are a million things to take into consideration when you decide to look for a new car: safety ratings, overall value, customer reviews, expert opinions, past experience, your likes and dislikes, special needs of your family, and more. The list just goes on and on. But there are a few undeniable facts about Fiat to think about when you start looking for your new vehicle.

Fiat has a rich history in the transportation industry. You might see a plethora of cars at the fiat downey dealership today, but in the past Fiat engineered everything from carriages to tractors to aircraft. When you buy a Fiat, you’re buying from a company who knows a thing or two about transportation. Additionally, you may not know a lot about Fiats, but, chances are, you’re familiar with many of the brands Fiat has acquired, including Ferrari, Chrysler and Maserati. Fiat has regularly bought quality brands with great reputations that match their own high end craftsmanship.
In Brazil, one of the world’s most populous countries, Fiat is the leading car brand and just a few years ago, in 2008, a Fiat won the European Car of the Year award. A Fiat first took home that distinguished prize in 1968. The long history of Fiat and their commitment to excellence is undeniable. When you purchase a Fiat, you’re getting a car you know you can depend on for years to come and a car that’s made with all the expertise of a company that’s been manufacturing fine automobiles for generations. Visit your local dealership webpage, http://www.ocfiat.com, to peruse the selection of Fiats available in your own backyard and see if there’s one that might fit the bill for our family. Our sales staff is glad to let you take one on a test drive.

“Nature that framed us of four elements, warring within our breasts for regiment, doth teach us all to have aspiring minds,” quoth Italian philosopher/politician/poet (amongst many other titles) Niccolo Machiavelli, who we suspect would have really jonesed for a taste of this 350-horsepower Datsun Roadster seen on these pages. Its aspiration, though great, is far from natural.

There is a good reason that the old-school Japanese-car scene thrives around the West Coast: steel lives forever there. Even neglected machinery is generally clean; any rust you find has limitations to surfaces where the sun ate through the primer. Their engines may chug oil and fart blue smoke, and the vinyl interior fittings may be more baked than a Snoop Dogg concert, nevertheless the basic bones are frequently intact.

Check out the Midwest or East Coast, where wintry roads are salted to melt snow into an icy grey porridge created to promote cancer of the rockers, and the old-school scene gets a lot thinner. Within a decade, the steel-the skin, the system-body chassis-would first turn bubbly under the paint, then bust out in oxide hives; soon there was more scabby rust and elemental creep than painted steel, followed closely by holes you could fist without scraping the skin on the hand, even though their mechanicals, as ever, promised to last forever, along with the interiors were often okay.

Yet the East Coast had been a hotbed of (largely European) sports car activity in the ‘50s and ‘60s. It seemed only natural and right the Datsun Roadster should be in the home in such company, and it’s safe to say that what East Coast enthusiasm there was to the Japanese car in those days was nurtured by the success of Bob Sharp and his team of Datsun racers. Starting in 1964, along with factory backing from 1965, Connecticut-based Sharp raced Datsun Roadsters to great effect: in ’65, Sharp was the SCCA Northeast Divisional champion (a first for both Datsun and Sharp) in a 1500 Roadster. For ’67 and 1966 Sharp raced a 1600, winning a national SCCA title for Datsun in 1967. He went on to win the C/Production title in ’68 and the D/Production title in ’69 (with Jim Fitzgerald behind the wheel within the SCCA’s Southeast division) before moving into 510s and Zs in the ‘70s. Racing improved the breed, and although 50,000 Roadsters in eight model years is hardly a smash-hit, Datsun’s and Sharp’s) on-track activities sold cars. Today, four and a half decades worth of Northeastern winters later, the news is that any streetable examples still exist there.

1968 datsun roadster 2000 SSR longchamps

1968 datsun roadster 2000 nitrous oxide

1968 datsun roadster 2000 drift II harness

Thus it was something of a surprise that William Izaguirre of Katonah, Ny (located in the state’s little prehensile tail that splits northeastern New Jersey and southern Connecticut) managed to find a complete, running 1969 Datsun Roadster in Buffalo, home of winters as cold and bitter as your ex-wife’s mother-in-law, and as salty as stag night in Vegas. Obviously the former owner of a turbocharged Toyota MR2, a twin-turbo Nissan 300ZX, a 2004 Subaru STI and a Nissan 350Z with the aftermarket turbo kit hung on the exhaust would have plans-plans that got as far as installing an S15 Silvia’s SR20DET between the fenderwells. There was, however, an issue. “I twisted the frame,” he says. As you might imagine he would when installing two plus a half times the stock power using a pile of rot. When I took the body off my ’69, the whole thing was only destroyed-so I just ditched the full car.?, although “I bought another car for the frame?

The replacement machine, a ’68 model, was located via message board pals directing William’s attention to the more Baltimore area. “This one wasn’t that bad,” William suggests. It didn’t have the rust issues that one other car had.?, though “The motor wasn’t good, and yes it wasn’t in perfect shape?

Now, he took precautions, whilst the chassis was far cleaner on the second go-‘round. “I gusseted each of the mounting points at the X in the frame. We ran an oval 3-inch exhaust through the frame; you have to check out the frame or maybe the pipe would be too low. But once everything was reinforced at the corners, we powdercoated it as well.” Also, William is proud to share with us, “every single nut, washer and bolt on that car is brand new.” It can now handle the dyno-registered 352 horsepower (at ), 7 and 333 foot-pounds of torque that Nissan’s huffed, nitroused, all-aluminum four-pot wonder-nugget is pumping out. Front brakes to quit the madness come courtesy a twin-turbo 300ZX in the mid-1990s (more than sufficient stopping power for a car that barely tops a ton) however the rear rotors were part and parcel with all the Mazda rear axle, which came with a restrictedmore or less alone; the most visible body mods are definitely the air dam that replaced the front fascia and bumper, custom carbon-fiber fender flares and (occasionally) the one-off carbon-fiber hardtop. The hue was a last-minute decision; work was progressing on another hue, but “I went to the New York Auto Show in April, and I saw the Mercedes SLS AMG McLaren sitting there … it absolutely was painted this same color, Designo Allomite Grey Matte. I saw it there and I called the shop on the spot, told ‘em to avoid whatever they were doing, paint-wise, and told them that it was the color of the car now.”

Another change was to ditch the foam-padded ’68 dash, with its safety switches, and install an earlier unit featuring fun toggle switches. “I just wanted the classic look,” William tells us. Now they’re all digital, by GPS in Ohio, although “The gauges with all the chrome rings around it were mechanical. Also, I was able to have the guy who does my hydrographics to get the wood-look on the dash.”

, the wood look.yes and Ah The dash face, console, shift knob, controls, all appearing to be manufactured from wood and all parcel and part for the path of a ‘60s sports car. Seeing wood-look particulars on the nitrous bottle and the valve cover under the hood, however, was something of a surprise. “I’ve seen a number of people do powdercoating, crazy paint, airbrushing then one day, I just thought, wood! The process is called hydrodipping; they generally do it with shotgun stocks. They spray a film into water, a chemical melts the film, then dip what you need coated. It sticks to what you dip, they clearcoat it, and it looks like wood.”

We caught up with William in the fourth round of the Formula Drift series, in Wall Township, New Jersey, in mid-June 2013; that was under a month after it was completed. “I haven’t had time for the track yet but it’s gonna go eventually.” Within the meanwhile he’s put over a thousand miles on it since completion. “I drive my Roadster anywhere: , New Jersey.Connecticut and Boston People are shocked; they ask why don’t I trailer it? Should you trailer it and don’t drive it, i always inform them, what’s the fun in developing a car? Just build it better next time.” And if that’s not an aspiring mind to help make Machiavelli proud, what is, whether it breaks?

No, this isn’t the title to Ken Follett’s next best seller. Nor will it be the plot to the next James Bond film. And what you have here isn’t just another Godzilla invades! graphic novel, either. No, this really is a true story about a man in an exotic, far-off land who wanted the fastest car in the country, and that he wanted it with a two-year warranty. Sure, this mystery man from Azerbaijan-a small republic that was once a part of the Soviet Union and is now sandwiched between Russia and Iran across the western shore of the Baltic Sea-could have just written a major, fat check to Ferrari or Lamborghini and called it per day. But Ramal, whose surname has been withheld to protect his status since the most interesting man on earth, wanted something that wasn’t just faster than a run-of-the-mill supercar. He desired to feel the mythical power of Godzilla throughout the seat of his finely tailored linen pants while simultaneously turning any nearby exotics into mere specks in his rearview mirror.

To accomplish these lofty and totally awesome goals, Ramal looked to Bulletproof Automotive, a California-based distributor of your very finest tuning parts from Japan. , despite the fact that bulletproof isn’t just a purveyor of rare JDM goodies Led by serial entrepreneur Ben Schaffer, these guys also specialize in building completely turnkey projects this way one, along with their numerous high-profile SEMA project car builds. In fact, Bulletproof has become well known as an exporter of custom cars and is set up being aAs Ben explained, Ramal wanted us to get him a brand-new ’13 GT-R and export it to Azerbaijan. He tell us this would be the first GT-R ever in Azerbaijan, but that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to have the fastest car in their country. On the next couple weeks, detailed conversations were had discussing his dreams to the car. How he wanted it to search, how he wanted it to perform. His driving style and how he would utilize the car. And, of course, how you can reach each one of his goals responsibly, based on his pre-planned budget. Fortunately for the results of the car, his budget was something that would allow us to build him a really well-balanced machine that is outstanding in all areas. We certainly had enough to work with to do things in our usual no-corners-cut style.””, even though this was not a limitless budget build””

Some clients would like to hand over the reins and let Bulletproof design the complete build, while others have very specific requirements and ideas that really must be integrated into the method. According to Ben, Ramal really only had two things on his must-have list in the first place: He wanted a Wald body kit, and he wanted a Super Silver GT-R being purchased. So, we started there. A brand-new 2013 was purchased, found for the very best price in the East Coast, and then shipped to our offices in L . A .But one that would be shipped to the opposite side of the world, into a country without having other GT-R owners and no GT-R trained technicians, the Bulletproof crew needed to generate a solid plan on the powertrain, because this wasn’t just a high-end build. We made the strategic choice to go to our longtime engine-building partner, Switzer Performance, as Ben explained. And these people have a two-year warranty with no nonsense results, we like Switzer because we’ve done many cars with them. As opposed to a mix-and-match power package, we entrusted Switzer on the full power package, which yielded 1,200 hp with all the two-year warranty intact!

Before shipping the car off to Switzer in Ohio, the Bulletproof boys first stripped the interior of Ramal’s brand-new R35 so they could fit it because of their GT-RR and Brand RR carbon-fiber enhancements.While the Wald kit was well-known by this time, we wanted to spice it up a little, so we added our own one-off carbon-fiber addition to the top in the front bumper, as Ben told us. This extra carbon-fiber design element was painted around and shaped to create an elongated hood effect with all the Carbon Dry Japan hood that was selected. We also reshaped the steering wheel and remade it in carbon fiber and wrapped it in Alcantara. Plenty of additional custom carbon fiber was used throughout the interior to include an aspect of exotic class, something that the Nissan falls a bit short on compared to its supercar rivals.

If it country is well off of the beaten path, of course, there’s a lot more to building a well-balanced, supercar-eating GT-R capable of claiming fastest car in the country status, even. So, bulletproof convinced him that a serious brake upgrade was a necessity when slowing a 13 and 200hp,800-pound beast just like the GT-R, although Ramal opted to keep the suspension stock because of the rough roads in Azerbaijan. Ramal decided to never take any half measures and anted up for the mother of all brake kits, the carbon ceramic Alcon CC-X big brake conversion, as Ben put it. Also, he went to the highest spec, lightweight, modified ADV1 Track Spec SL ADV10 wheels pushing 21×12.5 inches wide in the rear with massive 355/25ZR21 Pirelli P-Zero rubber to assistin the local tea house while he waited for the following e-mail update to come in from Bulletproof. Being thus far removed from this sort of expensive and extreme build must have been excruciating, even for a man we presume to get the pain tolerance of Rambo and the discipline of Bruce Lee (not forgetting the bankroll of Donald Trump).

Naturally, you can’t build a $300,000 GT-R rather than give it a proper shakedown before loading it into a shipping container. That it have also been totally civilized and would perform flawlessly as a daily driver for Ramal, whilst the tough job of road testing this monster fell on Ben’s shoulders, and he confirmed it was not only obscenely powerful and brutally fast. If you’d like to hear it rip, jump onto YouTube and search for 1,200hp custom GT-R by Bulletproof Automotive. You should be warned, you could have an eargasm.

Now landed in Azerbaijan, how may be the mysterious Mister Ramal enjoying his bespoke GT-R? They have apparently reported back to the group at Bulletproof Automotive and is also on record stating that it must be indeed the fastest car in the united states-which he’s loving every minute of it. Mission accomplished, as Ben put it. Now on to the next supercar build for the next international man of mystery.